Rusty's Luna Landing
Rusty's Luna Landing is a new story. Summary Rusty wants to be first Narrow Gauge engine on the moon. He tried several attempts but they all fail. So the other Narrow Gauge engines, Owen and Merrick come up with a plan to help make their friend's dream come true. Plot The story begins with a busy day at the Blue Mountain Quarry where Rusty was shunting trucks onto Owen's platform to which he lowers down to where Paxton is waiting with his trucks to take the slate to Brendam Docks. Rusty tells them that he finds the moon quite fascinating and wants to be the first Narrow Gauge engine to explore it's surface. Duncan however says it's impossible for engines to go on the moon and calls him silly but Skarloey tells him that if Rusty really wants to have his dream, he should let him and scold him for calling him silly and Luke supports Rusty and his dream and Rusty thanks him. Stepney the Bluebell Engine arrives later on with empty trucks and when Rusty sees him and tells him about his dream, Stepney gives him the idea of building a giant slingshot to catapult himself there. Rusty decides to try it out and set to work building the slingshot with some workman with Rheneas watching unsure of the outcome. In a few minutes, the slingshot is finished and Rusty gets ready to launch himself onto the moon. All the engines watch as Rusty reverses back to the sling as far as he could until he reach the limit and begins to countdown before releasing his brakes and shoot off into the sky but fell down onto Ulfstead Castle where Stephen, Glynn and Millie see him on the top of the Megalosaurus model. Later, The Thin Controller scolds Rusty for the trouble he caused and he apologizes for it and explains that he wanted to go to the moon. The Thin Controller laughs and says that Rusty needs more than just a slingshot to get there. Rusty was puzzled as the Thin Controller left and when Freddie saw Rusty's expression, Freddie suggests that Rusty try using a ramp to go to the moon. Rusty agrees and the next morning, he tries it but failed. He tried using things to get to the moon but nothing work. Rusty felt sad he couldn't get to the moon. Luke saw how sad his friend was and wants to help. He called all the engines to the sheds to discuss Rusty wanting to go the moon and wants to help him achieve his dream. Skarloey asks how he intends on doing it to which Luke replies that he plans to make things look like the moon and make the engines and himself look like space engines so that Rusty thinks that he's on the moon but first, they need to build something first. Rheneas ask what are they going to build and Luke tells him a spaceship for Rusty. Later, they get to work, making a rocket out of slate and Luke goes to tell Rusty about it. Diesel heard everything and decided to ruin Luke's plan as revenge for not sending him away a long time ago. Next morning, Stepney came to help with the plan since Luke told him about it and brought a space suit for Rusty and soon the other engines brought the rocket to show Rusty and the little diesel is very happy. Rusty then puts his space suit on and enters the rocket. Luke radios Rusty with his radio to let him know that all systems are go. Rusty replies that he's ready to go and begins to countdown. Diesel in a space monster costume sneaks around unnoticed as Rusty begins to go towards the zipline where Merrick picks the rocket up and puts it on a flatbed to which Smudger pushes it to Owen's platform. Then, Rusty went out to see what the moon is like and saw Luke and the other engines covered in quarry dust and they greet Rusty in alien style language and Rusty greets them excited although Diesel thinks it's very funny but keep his chuckle quiet and watch as Rusty explores the quarry, then went back to his rocket to return back to Earth but as Sir Handel was about to couple to the flatbed, Diesel honk his horn loudly, causing Owen to move his platform down very fast in fright and Rusty thinks he's lost control and it hit the ground with a bump and Rusty moves out of the rocket and saw that he was back on Earth at the Blue Mountain Quarry. Luke welcomes Rusty home along with the other engines and Stepney asks how the trip went and he tells him that it was amazing and explains about the aliens and the moon's surface and the engines are amazed. Diesel angrily blurts out that it's all a fake, exposing Luke's plan to Rusty and himself to the engines and Rusty realizes Luke only did it to make him happy and isn't mad at him at all. Diesel said that Luke is still the engine who bump Victor into the sea and should be sent away from Sodor forever long ago but Luke stands up to him and says Trivia * Transcript Rusty's Luna Landing/Transcript